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The Urologic Diseases Dictionary

Some terms listed have many meanings; only those meanings that relate to urologic diseases are included. Words that appear in bold italic are listed elsewhere in the dictionary.

Information in this dictionary is not a substitute for a visit to your doctor. Talk with a health professional if you have a urologic problem.

The U.S. Government does not endorse or favor any specific commercial product or company. Trade, proprietary, or company names appearing in this document are used only because they are considered necessary in the context of the information provided. If a product is not mentioned, the omission does not mean or imply that the product is unsatisfactory.

Index

Pronunciation Guide

This pronunciation guide uses letters and letter combinations, rather than phonetic symbols, to stand for the various sounds in the English language.

Vowels

a

cat, bat

ah

father

air

pear, hair

ar

park

ay

say, came, weigh

aw

saw, bought

e

bet, set

eh

(used at the end of a syllable or when standing alone)
examples:
meadow (MEH-doh)
enemy (EH-nuh-mee)but
diet (DY-et)

ee

feet, neat

i

sit, igloo

ih

(used at the end of a syllable or when standing alone)
examples:
chicken (CHIH-ken)
miracle (MIHR-ih-kuhl)but
picnic (PIK-nik)

ihr

near, here

y

fire, idol

eye

(used at the beginning of a syllable or when standing alone)
examples: iron (EYE-urn)
chloride (KLOR-eyed)but
silent (SY-luhnt)

o

hot, cot

oh

coat, home

oo

food, rude

or

tore, soar, for

oy

soil, boy

ou

now, couch

u

put, foot

uh

about, sum, china

ur

hurt, alert

yoo

use

yoor

cure

Consonants

b

bat, job

ch

chop, itch

d

dig, bed

f

fur, tough, calf

g

grape, big

h

happy

j

joke, nudge

k

kite, car, tack

l

lip, sell

m

move, jam

n

not, knee

ng

ring

p

play, hop

r

rain, fur

s

set, tips

ss

bus, guess, fence

sh

shy, fish

t

toy, boat

th

breath

v

vine, have

w

walk, where

y

yes

z

zip, jazz, has

zh

measure

Acknowledgments

Publications produced by the Clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This publication was reviewed by Christine Bradway, Ph.D., C.R.N.P., University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and Jane Hokanson Hawks, Ph.D., R.N., B.C., Nebraska Methodist College.

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1987, the Clearinghouse provides information about diseases of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. The NKUDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about kidney and urologic diseases.

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This publication may contain information about medications and, when taken as prescribed, the conditions they treat. When prepared, this publication included the most current information available. For updates or for questions about any medications, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration toll-free at 1–888–INFO–FDA (1–888–463–6332) or visit www.fda.gov. Consult your health care provider for more information.